1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automated product handling system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a product handling system which includes a conveyor arrangement that is equipped with a tray saddle and stopper arrangement which facilitates appropriate location and orientation of a stack of trays on a platform which forms part of the conveyor system.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
In the past, in automated product handling equipment wherein stacks of trays are positioned in a so-called "stacker" and then picked up by a tray shuttle and moved to another stage/operation, problems have been encountered in that trays tend to move undesirably around on the surfaces on which they are supported due to equipment vibration. This leads to a drawback in that stacks of trays tend to become jammed in the shuttle from time to time and leads to reductions in efficiency and yield as a result of machine downtime and scrap production.